A Fistful of Dollars...
Knowledge is Power...the Glycemic Index
(part 2 of "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly - as previously published)
The original “Spaghetti Western”, also the prequel to our aforementioned film was called A Fistful of Dollars. It told the tale of the same misguided hero, the opportunistic cowboy, played for the first time by Clint Eastwood. In this prequel, Clint Eastwood’s character struggles to win “a few dollars”, using cunning and even treachery. Likewise, in our fight to get fit, knowledge is power. We need to be clever, keep our eyes open to what we put into our mouths, and make the right food choices in order to succeed. A basic understanding of food groups, carbohydrate categories, the concept of energy-in vs. energy-out, and the importance of the 3 macronutrients and how they impact our bodies, these concepts are out weapons!
Carbohydrates are a vital nutrient, a powerful source of muscle and brain energy and they support increased muscular and mental performance; but ingesting the wrong type of carbs will contribute to unstable blood sugar levels and leave you feeling “bonked” or “crashed”; too much sugar too fast into the bloodstream will cause a rapid rise in insulin, and will contribute to the uptake of excess calories into fat storage. So, how do we utilize this powerful nutrient appropriately to optimize performance, energy and health?
Research in the field of diabetes has given us a tool to assess the impact specific carbohydrates have on blood sugar and insulin levels. The glycemic index (GI) rates carbohydrate foods based on how quickly blood glucose levels rise after ingestion of the food. Pure glucose is the rule, and is scored 100 on the GI scale. The faster the absorption of the carbohydrate food and the more rapid the rise in blood glucose levels, the higher the score on the GI scale. A lower the score on the glycemic index indicates a lesser impact on blood glucose and insulin levels following the ingestion of the specific carbohydrate food. Once again, we can use the GI to plan our meals by choosing the majority of our carbohydrates from low GI sources. Key point: controlling insulin response by monitoring the GI of the carbs we ingest will slow fat storage, and actually increase the body’s ability to use previously stored fat for energy!
So, to utilize the “good” of carbohydrates, choose foods that are high in fiber and have a lower score on the glycemic index. As a general rule, avoid excess sugars to keep the blood sugar stable. Stable blood sugar and insulin levels will prevent the “bonk” or “crash”. Keeping insulin under control is the key to avoiding fat storage.
Here is a brief list of some common carbohydrate foods and their GI scores. Remember, the lower the number, the less impact ingestion of a particular food will have on blood sugar and insulin levels, and the better for health and performance. Choosing low GI carbs - the ones that induce lesser fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels - the trick to reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes, and is the key to sustainable weight loss and optimal athletic performance. Choose wisely to be sure you get the most out of “the Good” of your carbohydrates!
Low Glycemic foods: (eat more of these) GI score <55
Barley, Oats, whole-wheat pasta, grapefruit, apples, lentils, beans,
Medium Glycemic foods: (eat some of these) GI score 56-69
Oranges, sweet potatoes, whole-grain breads, brown rice
High Glycemic foods: (eat less of these) GI score 70-100
Instant rice, white potatoes, candy, ice cream, white bread, dates.
Sources:
Akermark, C.,I. Jacobs, M. Rasmusson, and J Karlsson. Diet and muscle glycogen concentration in relation to physical performance in Swedish elite ice hockey players. Int. J. Sport Nutr. 6:272-284, 1996
Foster-Powell, K. and J.B. Miller. International tables of glycemic index, Am J. Clin. Nutr. 62:871s-893s. 1995
Maughn, R.J., P.L. Greenhaff, J.B. Leiper, D. Ball, C.P. Lambert, and M. Gleeson. Diet composition and the performance of high-intensity exercise. J. Sports Sci. 15:265-275. 1997.
www.AnneCollins.com/obesity.htm, 2002-2007.
(part 2 of "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly - as previously published)
The original “Spaghetti Western”, also the prequel to our aforementioned film was called A Fistful of Dollars. It told the tale of the same misguided hero, the opportunistic cowboy, played for the first time by Clint Eastwood. In this prequel, Clint Eastwood’s character struggles to win “a few dollars”, using cunning and even treachery. Likewise, in our fight to get fit, knowledge is power. We need to be clever, keep our eyes open to what we put into our mouths, and make the right food choices in order to succeed. A basic understanding of food groups, carbohydrate categories, the concept of energy-in vs. energy-out, and the importance of the 3 macronutrients and how they impact our bodies, these concepts are out weapons!
Carbohydrates are a vital nutrient, a powerful source of muscle and brain energy and they support increased muscular and mental performance; but ingesting the wrong type of carbs will contribute to unstable blood sugar levels and leave you feeling “bonked” or “crashed”; too much sugar too fast into the bloodstream will cause a rapid rise in insulin, and will contribute to the uptake of excess calories into fat storage. So, how do we utilize this powerful nutrient appropriately to optimize performance, energy and health?
Research in the field of diabetes has given us a tool to assess the impact specific carbohydrates have on blood sugar and insulin levels. The glycemic index (GI) rates carbohydrate foods based on how quickly blood glucose levels rise after ingestion of the food. Pure glucose is the rule, and is scored 100 on the GI scale. The faster the absorption of the carbohydrate food and the more rapid the rise in blood glucose levels, the higher the score on the GI scale. A lower the score on the glycemic index indicates a lesser impact on blood glucose and insulin levels following the ingestion of the specific carbohydrate food. Once again, we can use the GI to plan our meals by choosing the majority of our carbohydrates from low GI sources. Key point: controlling insulin response by monitoring the GI of the carbs we ingest will slow fat storage, and actually increase the body’s ability to use previously stored fat for energy!
So, to utilize the “good” of carbohydrates, choose foods that are high in fiber and have a lower score on the glycemic index. As a general rule, avoid excess sugars to keep the blood sugar stable. Stable blood sugar and insulin levels will prevent the “bonk” or “crash”. Keeping insulin under control is the key to avoiding fat storage.
Here is a brief list of some common carbohydrate foods and their GI scores. Remember, the lower the number, the less impact ingestion of a particular food will have on blood sugar and insulin levels, and the better for health and performance. Choosing low GI carbs - the ones that induce lesser fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels - the trick to reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes, and is the key to sustainable weight loss and optimal athletic performance. Choose wisely to be sure you get the most out of “the Good” of your carbohydrates!
Low Glycemic foods: (eat more of these) GI score <55
Barley, Oats, whole-wheat pasta, grapefruit, apples, lentils, beans,
Medium Glycemic foods: (eat some of these) GI score 56-69
Oranges, sweet potatoes, whole-grain breads, brown rice
High Glycemic foods: (eat less of these) GI score 70-100
Instant rice, white potatoes, candy, ice cream, white bread, dates.
Sources:
Akermark, C.,I. Jacobs, M. Rasmusson, and J Karlsson. Diet and muscle glycogen concentration in relation to physical performance in Swedish elite ice hockey players. Int. J. Sport Nutr. 6:272-284, 1996
Foster-Powell, K. and J.B. Miller. International tables of glycemic index, Am J. Clin. Nutr. 62:871s-893s. 1995
Maughn, R.J., P.L. Greenhaff, J.B. Leiper, D. Ball, C.P. Lambert, and M. Gleeson. Diet composition and the performance of high-intensity exercise. J. Sports Sci. 15:265-275. 1997.
www.AnneCollins.com/obesity.htm, 2002-2007.
posted by 619Muscle at
10:07 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home